Everything Burns
by Captain Raven Rose
Summary: For every reality, there are a trillion other realities. One decision, one moment, a single word or touch, and everything can change. Welcome to another reality. A reality that's not filled with song and laughter and fluffy bunnies, but darkness and death and war. AU victorious. Jade-centric but including the entire cast. T for a bit of language and general dark war-type stuff.
1. Reality

G'day mates! I'm not Australian and this is not your average victorious fic. Nor is it an Australian victorious fic. I don't know where I'm going with this. Shut up and don't ask questions, because I can't answer them. I don't know what the point of this fic is, I don't know the backstory, I don't know what's happening. All I know is that I was watching Star Wars the Clone Wars, and then, BOOM, this happened. Have fun. ;3

* * *

_She sits in her corner_  
_Singing herself to sleep_  
_Wrapped in all of the promises_  
_That no one seems to keep_  
_She no longer cries to herself_  
_No tears left to wash away_  
_Just diaries of empty pages_  
_Feelings gone a stray_  
_But she will sing_

_'Till everything burns._

_- everything burns - ben moody ft. anastacia - though i'm quite partial to james durbin's version -_

* * *

Jade felt splinters tear through the back of her jacket as she fell against the wall of a dark, decaying barn. Or, shed. Or, country church. Some type of wooden building. Didn't matter. She was going to die anyway, and this place would be her grave. Secretly she prayed it was a church. That would make things convenient.

Her heart beat faster than what was probably healthy for her. Blood thundered against the sides of her head, creating an ocean-like roar in her ears. Her breath came in ragged gasps, the lack of oxygen sent black dots dancing across her already dim vision. She was going to die, and she was going to die alone.

Desperately, she clutched her empty pistol to her chest as she heard explosions in the distance. An orange glow illuminated the building for a few brief seconds, allowing Jade to give the place a quick survey. Definitely a barn. Well, so much for the church idea. Sliding along the wall until she was seated on the straw covered floor, Jade gave herself a glance as well. Not too bad. Blood seeped from the open scar of years-old wound on her arm, and she could already see nasty bruises forming on her leg. Every breath she drew felt like she was filled with shards of glass. Broken rib? Or two? So, maybe she wasn't going to die alone, but she was still _alone_.

All it took was one freaking _second_. One second she was holding tightly to Cat's wrist, trying to drag her ahead of the approaching front, the next second, the girl had run off. Probably in search of her brother. That girl saw every tall skinny blonde male as possibly being her brother. No one has the heart to tell her that her brother was most likely dead. Their type didn't last long. And by "their type" Jade meant any of the victims of the radioactive fallout years ago. Or, radiation fallout. Nuclear fallout? Whatever the hell it was, it screwed up a lot of kids. Cat and her brother had the privilege of being born in one of the most contaminated places west of the California border. Lucky them. The fallout was worldwide, no one was completely free of it. Not Jade. Not Robbie or André or Tori or Beck, or any of the gang. "Gang" being a relative term. Either way, it did things to people, for better or for worse.

Maybe Shapiro was in the "better" category. The kid was a flippin' genius. Of the more eccentric kind. He even had the nerd look and crappy social skills to go with it. Despite that, he was always right in the middle of their plans, giving direction and seeing patterns in everything. His brain worked in ways Jade couldn't even imagine. Though, he did think his puppet was a real person. Ok, not so "better" after all. But he was on their side.

Ha, as if there were sides. It was first come, first serve. Dog eat dog. Every man for himself. All your typical clichés. That's the world they lived in. They were born there, they grew up there, they died there. No one had control over the fighting. Death to the weak, the cowardly and the innocent victims. Not that any of them were innocent. Jade had looked into the large eyes of a small girl, barely old enough to talk, to walk, and she had pulled the trigger without hesitation. Those were her orders. Later that night she had stabbed Shapiro in frustration and then sobbed for an hour, until Beck told her, in no uncertain terms, to stop blubbering and focus on the mission.

Beck Oliver. The leader of their band of merry men. They weren't merry, and the boy was hardly a man. Just a kid forced to do what all kids had to do. Fight to get on top of the food chain. Don't be the weakest link, because the weakest link was the first to go. Maybe in another life, another world, another reality, they could have had some kind of relationship. Hell, they had a relationship now. But maybe in another life, they could have had something _better_. What they had now was dark and twisted, moments stolen away in the attics of abandoned houses which were blown into oblivion mere hours later. Conversations in desperate whispers while riding to their deaths in the back of a van. They always survived. They always did it again, promising each other that this was the last time. Eventually, one of them wouldn't make it back.

Footsteps caught Jade's attention. The flames from the previous explosion had dimmed so that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down, to stop beating so loud that it echoed off the walls. A hand brushed against her shoulder. She turned quickly, dark hair whipping across her eyes, pointing her useless gun at whoever was about to kill her. Better to go down with a fight, eh? Oh god, Beck's Canadian ways were rubbing off on her.

Now a blindingly white light was shining in her eyes. She lashed out, trying to at least cause some annoyance to her killers. One of her hands connected with a fistful of dreads. Huh. Interesting. Eyes adjusting to the bright light, she found herself face to face with André and Vega. Oh. Great. Vega.

Tori didn't belong here. Sure, she may have proven herself as far as the fighting went, but she was still a goody-two shoes, know-it-all, perfectly annoying, whiny little princess. She still thought everyone could be saved, that they could find peace. Liar. No, not a liar, just naïve. She wasn't used to this kind of stuff. Her parents had money, possessions, or at least they had those thing until the fighting had spread. Word was that the Vegas house had just exploded one night, killing everyone it save for Tori and her brat of a sister, Trina. Trina had been missing for six months. Dead, most likely. Tori survived. It took a little work to get her into fighting shape. Three weeks with Beck and Cat in the basement of The Gorilla Club helped. Rumor said more people died trapped down there in a single day than anywhere else. Still, Vega just _didn't get it_. It would probably kill her sooner or later. Sooner being the preferable time. Plus, she made eyes at Beck.

André was cool enough, though his loyalties weren't always clear. Also, he stuck with his deranged grandmother. Most people would have left her for dead, but not André. The boy was just too _nice_. Compassionate. Almost like Vega, except that André knew when to draw the line at nice. Harris was known for being a killer. When he was in battle, he was a maniac, to the point it was a little scary. Legend says he once got so caught up in a fight that he had ended up obliterating _both sides_. Not just the enemy, but his comrades as well. By _himself_. Jade liked him.

Now Vega and Harris were pulling her to her feet. In the distance, Jade could make out the outline of a tank, with a curly haired freakshow popping his head up through the hatch. Enter Sinjin Van Cleef. Jade wasn't sure if even radiation could be held responsible for that boys problems. He was good in a fight though, despite the fact he was a wee bit on the insane side. He creeped Jade out. Plus, he made eyes at her.

Without a word, the three teens rushed to the tank, ignoring the shrill sirens and screams that were a part of their world. There wasn't time to talk as Sinjin slammed the tank hatch closed behind them and jumped into the drivers seat. Jade wanted to talk. She wanted to scream and rant and cry. Why had they come back for her? A simple saying dictated the rules in battle. _The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few_. If that meant someone had to be left behind, for the sake of saving the rest of them, then so be it. If you got left behind, that was your fault. Don't expect anyone to go back, looking for you. You're insignificant in the big picture. Hasta la vista, baby.

They reached base in record time. Base, for now, was an abandoned high school. _Hollywood Arts_. Art was right. It covered the inside and outside of the building, from top to bottom. All art, graffiti, gang signs, masterpieces, children's work. Destroyed, re-drawn, destroyed again. It had been home for nearly a year. The people inside came and went, were killed, were born, but the building never faltered.

As they walked, ran, through the doors, Jade passed familiar faces. There were also unfamiliar faces, and familiar faces that were missing. Cat stood in a corner, crying while Shapiro rubbed her back. As they passed them, Cat began screaming apologies and nonsense at Jade. Jade ignored her. There would be time for that later. They continued down the halls, and Jade couldn't help but notice all the broken and dying bodies that littered the ground. Lane rushed around, trying in vain to save people, or at least console them at the end. It was going to start stinking. Sikowitz rounded one of the corners and nearly ran André over. The balding man mumbled about coconuts and roses and a woman named Nancy. The man was crazy with a capital c. Apparently, he had led his own sort of "freedom fighters", until he had been shot in the head. It was considered a miracle he had survived, but sometimes Jade wondered if he would have been better off just dying on that potato field in Idaho.

Sinjin flung open the doors of what they called The Blackbox Theatre. Mission control. Headquarters. The place where things got done. Beck was there, talking to Burf and Robbie, who had somehow managed to get there first, despite the fact that he had just been with Cat, and that Jade hadn't seen him get ahead. That boy was just plain _strange_.

Beck looked up as the four teens entered the room. He gave all of them a once-over, _because what sort of leader would he be if he didn't?,_ but let his gaze linger on Jade. His eyes questioned her about the blood on her arm, and the straw stuck in all places. She answered him with one of her own looks, which she hoped he understood meant that she was mostly fine, and to quit worrying. He got the memo and then he snapped back into his Leader Beck mode. No time for favoritism. He never tried to keep her away from the dangerous missions, never tried to keep her safe in a fight beyond what was expected of a leader. _He hadn't gone back for when she was left behind, hadn't broken that oh so sacred rule. _That's how their relationship worked. Now he was calling everyone to attention. They had a new target, an enemy base just a few miles east. They were leaving at dawn. They probably wouldn't make it back alive. But that's life, and until you're dead, life just keeps going on.

_the end...?_

* * *

Like I said, don't ask. I'm still not sure what this was about, but I find it enjoyable. What about you guys? Good? Bad? Did you all give a fangirl squeal over the Spock quote? Criticism is welcome and flames are met by marshmallows. Reviews make me ridiculously happy. Have a great life. Goodnight world.


	2. Apology

I am literally in shock. I NEVER expected to get the amazing response I did. I was in absolute awe over your reviews. Super huge thanks to IntoAnime and Guest (I feel like you need a better name then just "guest" lol) for your incredible praise. Love you guys.

Okay, so, yes, this is another chapter. I'm still not sure on the overall plot of this story, or even what this chapter is about. But you guys really made me want to keep going with this (at least for a little bit ), and I really did enjoy writing it, so I'm gonna wing it. ;) Hopefully this lives up to the last chapter. Enjoy ;3

* * *

_Walking through life unnoticed _  
_Knowing that no one cares _  
_Too consumed in their masquerade _  
_No one sees her there _  
_And still she sings _  
_'Till everything burns _

_Watching it all fade away_

_-everything burns -_

* * *

Jade sat alone at a table in the Asphalt Café, later that night, absently chewing whatever the hell it was that Festus had managed to scrounge up. Her taste buds had probably died years ago anyway. A cool wind picked up and blew dirt and dust and other unidentifiable particles into her face. Hey, at least it gave the food some texture. It wasn't exactly her preferred last meal, but she took what she could. Part of her brain told her not to think like that, they had been through literally hundreds of these missions, and they had always come out on top. No need to think depressing thoughts this early, eh? Oh god. Not again. Cat came nervously walking toward Jade, eyes downcast, holding a tray of gray mush. They sat in silence, Jade mentally counting down the seconds till Cat had to speak, lest it kill her. _Three, two, one.._.

"I'm sorry!"

Bingo. Jade let out a heavy sigh, then washed down her food with a swig of warm, metallic tasting water. Disgusting. She wracked her brain for an appropriate way to respond.

"I know." she finally muttered.

"I just, I _saw_ him, I yelled for him, but he didn't hear me. So I had to go get him. And then..." Cat's frantic voice trailed off as her eyebrows drew together in confusion, "And, it wasn't him. He looked just like-but he- he wasn't, and he wouldn't listen, and he-" she quit stammering and looked Jade straight in the eye. Her voice ever so soft, she asked fearfully, "Jade, where's my brother?"

Rolling her eyes, Jade was glad when Shapiro and Sinjin bounced over to their table. Yes, bounced, practically _skipping_, really. Probably for no reason. They were just...odd. Oh, and the puppet, too, though he didn't skip because, well, _you know, _he's a _puppet_. Robbie saw the upset look on Cat's face and immediately turned an accusing stare on Jade. As if it were _her_ fault. Really?

Just as she was about to threaten Shapiro with her dirty fork, a man's scream broke the air. And broke Jade's eardrums. Chaos followed, tables turning over, people shoving and trampling, being trampled. Cat immediately dove under the table, while Sinjin went skipping towards The Blackbox Theatre, giving warnings through his headset, oblivious to the bullets whizzing by his face. Robbie whirled around frantically, pointing a beat-up water bottle as though it were a gun. Pathetic. Jade pulled her loaded shot-gun out of her belt, and suddenly felt warm, dark blood splatter her face. It took only a split second for her to realize it wasn't her own. Pity. Maybe someday a stray bullet could do what she was never strong enough to. Escape.

She could see them now, not a full-force assault like she feared, but a small gang of dirt-covered gangsters. Strange. Rebels were no surprise, but they mostly stuck to attacking unsuspecting civilians on dark, one-way country roads. They never ventured into the hearts of cities. And never, _ever_ into enemy bases. It was an unspoken rule of battle.

The mass of terrified people in the café seemed to be growing rather than shrinking. Jade was afraid to shoot lest she hit one of her own. From below the table came a frightened squeal. Jade turned on her heel, saw Cat being dragged out by two skinny, soon-to-be corpses, and then was almost immediately struck in the back of the head. She was aware of her legs turning to jelly, she was aware that the floor was coming up to meet her face far too quickly. She was aware of Cat's muffled screams, and Robbie's girly shrieks, and she saw Sikowitz laying face-down on the concrete, blood pooling around his jaw. She heard moaning and crying and yelling and at the last second, before her vision went black, and she slipped into peaceful oblivion, she heard Beck, yelling her name.

* * *

"What the _hell_ happened?" Beck raged, an hour later, when the fighting had stopped and they had won, mostly. There were casualties, _weren't there always?,_ but more than that, the enemy had taken _prisoners_. Nobody did that; it wasn't part of the game. Kill or be killed. Call it another one of the unspoken rules of battle. _No one_ took prisoners unless they were _wealthy_ prisoners, which Beck was pretty sure didn't include Cat, Robbie and Jade.

"Who was in charge of the east gate?" he continued, when no one answered, voice almost a growl. Awkwardly, Tori and André shared a look. Or, at least Tori tried to, André wouldn't meet her gaze. Beck caught on, even before Sinjin put in gleefully, "Ooh! Schedule says Cheekbones and Maniac!" Sinjin always had nicknames to address people by. He also talked to squirrels, ate dirt, and believed that Canada was just a rumor started by Beck. Anyways.

"I was heading to level two, to help Lane with the kids." Tori tried to defend herself. Sinjin looked confused.

"Smooth Hands was in level one, I saw him right before me and Roberito went down to the café." By the way, Sinjin was also convinced that Robbie was a closet Mexican. Don't ask, it's easier that way.

"Why were you going to level two if you were posted on guard duty?" Beck questioned Tori, arms crossed, feet apart. Tori mumbled something, staring at her beat-up boots the whole time. Beck moved like lightning, suddenly he was standing right in from of her. He grabbed her chin, forcefully turning her face towards his, waiting for an answer. Because no matter how calm and collected and leader-like Beck might appear, he was as messed up as the rest of them, and he had a temper. They all knew, had witnessed it, and a lucky few had been the recipient of it. Jade knew that anger all too well, keeping in mind that she's described their relationship as "dark" and "twisted."

"André told me that those were your orders." Tori finally said, looking Beck straight in the eye, and having the gall to flip her oh so perfect hair in a way that could only be described as "flirty."

A single step to the side was all it took for Beck to be standing in front of Harris. André kept his face pointed towards the floor.

"Unless I hit my head recently, I don't recall giving Vega new orders." Beck said, his voice dripping with accusations. The dread-headed boy's jaw clenched.

"You sayin' I'm a liar?" he casually shot back, eyes unafraid.

"I'm not saying I trust you farther than Sinjin can throw you." Beck answered, smirking.

André shot to his feet in one fluid motion. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then clamped it shut again. A stare-off was now in progress. Tori exchanged nervous glances with Burf and Luther. Sikowitz raised his newly-bandaged head from a cot in the corner, straining to get a better look. Sinjin watched on in rapt anticipation, shoving his bent glasses farther up his nose. Unfortunately, whatever drama had been about to unfold was brought to a standstill, as Lane rushed in, yelling that three more gangs had been spotted in the hills nearby. The chaos of earlier started up again, sirens, screams, shots. Nothing new. And so the mystery was left open, with Tori giving a satisfied smile, Beck putting back on his cold, leader look, Sinjin rushing around, flapping and squawking like a bird, and André... Well, the hard look in his eyes was impossible to read, but it was damn _scary_.

* * *

The first thing Jade was aware of when she woke up was not the smell of days old human waste, or the cold cement she was sitting on, or the low moans echoing through ventilation ducts, but was instead the fact that a sleeping Shapiro had his big, fat head on her shoulder. She shoved him off unmercifully. Glancing around, she found that she was sitting in a small cement _prison cell_, which immediately worried her. Prison wasn't what she had expected hell to look like. Shapiro woke up after his face collided with the floor, and he whimpered like a dog.

"Did that hurt?" Jade asked, genuinely curious.

Robbie spluttered several times before finally spitting out, "Yes!"

"Well, we're not dead." Jade confirmed. Well, at least, she had always _hoped_ there wouldn't be pain after death. Unless this really was hell, in which case she was screwed no matter what. Suddenly, she was aware that Cat was sitting on the other side of Robbie, curled into a tiny ball, her face covered by her long, matted hair.

"Hey, Cat." Jade hissed, reaching across Shapiro to poke at the smaller girl. Cat looked up in surprise, red hair falling behind her back, tear stains across her face.

"We're not dead?" Cat asked in a small voice, and when Jade reassured her that they weren't, she pouted.

"Phooey."

* * *

Woah. That was some crazy chiz right there. I honestly still don't have a plan for this story, but I think it's going okay. I'm still trying to get a grasp on the characters, so I apologize if its a little rough. Next chapter will involve Jade, Cat and Roberito in prison, and _maybe_ explain some of what's going on with the whole war. Reviews are treated like kittens and are loved and kissed and squished to death, and constructive criticism is nice. Sweet dreams. Hakuna Matata.


	3. Insanity

Thanks to IntoAnime, Guest, and Imtoolazytologin for the reviews! Will anyone ever review who's not a guest? The world may never know. lol, jk, love you guys ;) enjoy chapter threeee

* * *

_Ghost town and haunted love_  
_Raise your voice, sticks and stones may break my bones_  
_I'm talking loud, not saying much_

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_  
_Fire away, fire away_  
_Ricochet, you take your aim_  
_Fire away, fire away_  
_You shoot me down but I won't fall_  
_I am titanium_

_- titanium - david guetta -_

* * *

Three days. They had made it three days without killing each other. Not that Jade hadn't been forced to resort to violence seven or eight times. One could only handle being in a tight space with Cat and Shapiro for so long before they snapped.

Maybe it would have helped if they had something to break up the monotony of the days. That was the crazy thing. They hadn't been executed, or tortured, or even questioned. They hadn't even _seen_ their captors yet. Meals were deposited by black-gloved hands through a hatch in the wall. The gloves had gotten significantly thicker after Cat had bit one of the fingers. Obviously "don't bite the hand that feeds you" had no meaning to her, literal or otherwise.

It was a simple ten by ten cement affair, the ceiling was a dark grating, too thick to move or cut through. Where the grate led was impossible to tell, sometimes voices drifted down through, other times they heard frantic, pleading screams, or sometimes it was the laughter of a little girl. They never saw anyone besides the guards. A roughly cut hole in the floor towards one corner was all that existed in the way of disposal. Cat disapproved of it, and made Robbie and Jade turn around and plug up their ears whenever she needed to use the little ladies room. Or, hole. Blankets with unidentifiable stains had been given to them on the first night. Cat preferred to keep warm by snuggling close to Shapiro, which both disgusted and amused Jade. Shapiro missed his puppet.

All things considered, they were actually being treated well. Jade had heard tell of some groups who took prisoners just to see how long it took a person to starve, or die of exposure to certain radiations. But instead of that, they were being kept _alive_. Well-fed, even. Although she didn't have much, Jade would have given almost anything to find out who it was that was holding them.

* * *

One morning, seven armed soldiers came into the cell. They were dressed in black, layer upon layer, so that it was impossible to tell whether they were men or women. Cloth wrapped around their faces, guns in hand, they led the three teens to a row of clear, glass boxes, about the size of a small shower. Then the teens were ordered to strip. They did so- Jade with cool, meticulous movements, Robbie with awkward, clumsy hands, and Cat with tears in her eyes. Finally, they were told to step into the clear cubicles. Jade considered throwing a few kicks and punches, but really, how far could she get? She highly doubted Cat or Robbie would be any help; the red haired girl was trying to keep from bawling, while Shapiro was desperately trying to cover everything at once. Sissies.

With as much dignity as she could muster, Jade stepped onto the cool floor of the glass box. She marveled for a moment at how clean it was, compared to the rest of the place. Moving only her eyes, she tried to quickly examine the inside of the box. Before she got very far, her eyes were suddenly blinded by a warm liquid. _Water_. The glass box that looked like a shower, was a _shower_? That's it? Jade glanced at Cat in surprise. Cat was busy sticking her tongue out to catch the drops. Turning her back to the soldiers who still watched from outside, Jade let herself enjoy the lukewarm water. All too soon, the water stopped. Rough towels were handed to the three, and then their dirty clothes were handed back to them. Robbie and Cat couldn't seem to get their clothes back in fast enough, but Jade dressed hesitantly. What was the point of the shower of they were just going to ruin themselves again with their bloody, dirty clothes? Anyway. When they had finished, they were led back to their cell without another word.

* * *

Robbie the Weirdo and Cat were usually asleep long before Jade was even tired. She has always been something of a night owl. This left her plenty of time to entertain her own thoughts. Thoughts about prison, about herself, about the war, yes, even about fluffy-haired Canadian boy. But mostly, she simply reflected on the world she lived in.

Her memories of childhood were not as vague and faded as she wished, but instead were sharp, 14.1 megapixel snapshots, voices over crystal-clear connections, footage in high definition. She remembered the behemoth of a house she once lived in. She remembered living in one of the largest cities in the entire world, looking out a dusty window, a hundred stories off the ground, and imagining that she could see the entire population of the earth from there. She almost could. Her father had been high up in the city's social and monetary networks. He had worked with weapons, at the time she had had no idea that they were illegal. She could remember her mother, and that little bundle of blue blankets and fuzzy black hair that had shown up the day her mother left forever. Jade had only been ten. Three years later she watched eleven men break into their house and murder her father. She and that bundle of blankets and hair, which had grown into an annoying, toddling, _person_, were passed from relative to relative, friend to friend, then to strangers, and finally to a place filled with unwanted, neglected kids. She had lasted just over ten months before she ran away. She had no idea what ever happened to her brother.

She had fallen into a group of teenagers soon after, easily accepted as one of their own kind. She did whatever she could, whether that meant handling and repairing some of the most dangerous weapons known to the common man, or playing messenger girl between two sides of a fight. Nothing was off limits, not even her own body. Their group was fluid, no one was really in charge, new kids were always showing up, and every night a few of them didn't make it back. That group was where she first met Cat. The girl was lost, afraid, and trying to find her brother, who apparently was her only guardian. They never found him, and as time went on, they were glad. Cat's "my brother" stories were both laughable and terror-strickening. Was that even a word?

Beck was also part of that group. She wished she could say that she had never noticed him, but that would be a lie that even _she_ wasn't comfortable with. She noticed him, noticed his hair, his smile, his calm demeanor, and the way he looked at her. Later on, she noticed his deep voice, his thin lips, his anger, and the way he still looked at her. By hanging out with him, she met Shapiro, Harris, Sinjin, and the rest of the guys. Beck gained status within their group,_ which in turn meant that she gained status as well,_ until it got to the point that people simply looked to him as their leader. He never complained; that had been his goal. Vega showed up two years later, and was a constant storm cloud of complaints and stupidity. Of course the rest of the gang thought Tori was practically perfect, and Jade was left to suffer by herself. Except for Sinjin. When he found out Jade didn't like Vega, he promptly decided he hated her guts as well. Creep.

* * *

That night, Jade, Cat and Shapiro listened to voices arguing in the air above their cell. The individual words were impossible to understand, but their tone was clear. They obviously weren't getting along. Sometimes, one of the voices would startle Jade with its familiarity, but when she tried to listen closer, the voice went back to its unidentifiableness. Was _that_ a word? Either way, they fell asleep with the noise still overhead, a lullaby to the prisoners.

The next morning marked their sixth day in the cell. Or was it seven? Jade couldn't keep count. Sometime during the day a dozen or so armed soldiers opened the solid stone door at the front of the cell. They ordered the three once-again filthy teens out into the hallway. Maybe it was bath day? This time they were led down a different hall, it's walls covered in various tapestries that Jade assumed must have some importance. A door at the end of the hall led to the back of an armored vehicle. They were being transported. They rode in complete silence, their captors holding their guns loosely, but with an attentive glare on their prisoners. Again, Jade considered trying to take a few of them out, but, honestly, she was curious about where they were being taken.

An hour passed, maybe two. Cat had nearly fallen asleep, head resting on Jade's shoulder. The vehicle stopped suddenly, the doors were swung open, and Jade was suddenly lifted under her arms and deposited roughly on the ground outside. Unprepared, her face collided painfully with the pavement. Cat and Shapiro were given similar treatment. And then the truck drove away, tires squealing. Jade was aware of bullets flying after it, but none of them connected. Rubbing her bleeding cheek, she sat up too quickly and looked around. They were on a street, a street she _recognized_. A street in the outer city areas of Hollywood. Neon signs flashed in all directions, even though it was only evening, and the sun hadn't quite set yet. People stared at them, and Jade saw a none too friendly group of guys watching from the doorway of a brick building across the street.

She grabbed Shapiro and Cat, who were dazed after the sudden change of scenery, and dragged them to their feet. Glancing at the graffitied road signs, Jade realized they were only a twenty minute walk from Hollywood Arts. A beat-up pickup truck blasted it's horn at them, and they hurriedly jogged to the sidewalk. As they walked in a rather confused manner down the dirty street, Jade pinched herself. When that didn't work, she slapped herself. When _that_ didn't work, she slapped Robbie. That didn't work either. Obviously she wasn't dreaming. But she still couldn't believe it. They get _captured_, which should have never happened in the first place, they're treated _well_, and then they get released? Something was wrong, but Jade was too relieved to care. The only thing on her mind was getting back to base. Well, _that_, and the fact that she was hungry. Too bad they didn't have any pizza money on them.

* * *

Seriously hungry for pizza right now. Or some good fries. Yum. Anyway. Sooo, what is up with all this, eh? Don't worry, I have like, seventeen percent of a plan thought out. Next chapter involves the whole gang, and probably a whole lotta alcohol. Don't say I didn't warn ya. Also, maybe some bade? Should be fun ;) new chapter out either this weekend or early next week, as I have RL writing assignments and I need to update my other fanfic. ;D Reviews are like the pepperonis on top of the pizza that I'm hungry for. Which means, I'd really love them. Thanks for reading! Peace out.


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